Slipping Away
by Lumos314
Summary: On Flora's wedding day, Layton reflects on how she's slipping away, and if it really is as sad as he'd imagined. Oneshot.


Author's Note: I actually wrote this as an assignment for Language Arts (Best extra credit ever! ;D). We had to write about "Inconvenient Truths" and I was going for the truth that Luke and Flora would eventually grow up and slip away (Hence the title.) Of course, it ended up being more nostalgic than inconvenient... ;) So yeah. Sugary sweet. :)

I listened to the string and piano arrangement of Surely Someday on YouTube while listening to this...I think it fits a wedding perfectly. :) Plus, it's just a really epic arrangement. :D

Thinking about it, this is actually the first time I've written from a male point of view. How did I do? I tried to write as a guy a few years ago for a different assignment, and my teacher said I didn't sound like one, so...

Constructive reviews are always appreciated! :D

* * *

I fidget apprehensively in my chair, staring at the door as I wait for my daughter to come out. When she finally does, I am pleasantly surprised. She hasn't let me see her dress until now, an elegant white gown that trails slightly behind her and fits her form impeccably. The bouquet she holds matches the bright coral sundress and sky blue sash of Arianna Barde, who stands next to her.

"My dear…" I pause, unsure of what to say. "You look lovely."

She lifts her head, and I see her eyes watering. "Thank you." She barely gets the words out before she wraps her arms around me. I return the hug for a moment, then take a step back to look at her again. A tear slides down her cheek as she says, "I love you, Father."

Again, I'm at a loss for words. Despite being my daughter, she usually refers to me as "Professor," similarly to most everyone else. "I love you too, Flora." She gives something between a laugh and a sob, and I can see the small, golden birthmark standing out against her collar bone. She would have embraced me again had Emmy, with a dress that matched Arianna's, not interrupted.

"It's time."

At this, everyone in the room gets up and files into a line. Flora and I make our way to the end, her arm in mine, as she dabs at her face with a handkerchief. Suddenly, I hear music, and the doors open. As we start to slowly make our way into the chapel, I can't help letting my mind wander to a day long ago, when I thought my dear Flora would never grow up…

_I brought the steaming cup of Earl Grey to my lips, savoring the tea's refreshing flavor as I gazed out the open window. I could see my newly adopted daughter running daintily outside, taking care not to soil her favorite dress as she evaded my young assistant, who was chasing after her with an outstretched hand._

_"Tag! You're it!" The boy called as he made contact with her flowing ponytail._

_"Ahh! Luke!" She giggled and shrieked as he tripped over a loose stone, knocking the both of them headlong onto the verdant grass. They stayed there, laughing hysterically while sprawled on the ground, for a beat longer than they should have before rolling on their backs and staring at the vivid, cerulean sky. I watched with a hint of nostalgia as they gazed at the billowy, white clouds drifting lazily above them, their hands intertwined._

_Luke became my assistant when he and his parents moved here at age ten. He admired me, and asked to be my "apprentice." Even then, he was rather mature. It was a few years after that when we met Flora in a secluded village, the daughter of a dying baron who only wanted the perfect guardian for his little girl. She, too, was quite the young lady._

_I consistently had to remind myself that the two were only thirteen. Both were extremely perceptive and could easily keep pace with adults, uttering the occasional profound remark that always made me stop and marvel at them._

_And then there were days like today. They were playing, running, laughing without a care in the world. Their blitheness was contagious; even just watching them was a breath of fresh air from my worries about my archeology students, or the gaping hole in the center of London, or what I would do when Luke and his family moved to Los Angeles next summer. Knowing that someday they'd grow up and slip away made me treasure every moment I had with them._

The memory fades as Flora and I take our first steps. People stand on either side of us to watch as I escort her down the aisle, ready to let her embark on this new adventure she's chosen. She squeezes my hand one last time before I hand her off to Luke and make my way to a seat so I can watch the ceremony.

It is then I realize: She's not only my dear Flora anymore. She has blossomed into a beautiful young woman who is ready to make her own way in the world.

As I watch Flora kiss her new husband, I wonder if that's really such a bad thing after all.


End file.
